


The Way You Deserve

by Dibsanddabs



Series: Work Life Balance [1]
Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Cheating, Developing Relationship, F/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23933227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dibsanddabs/pseuds/Dibsanddabs
Summary: “I just wanted to check on you.” He said eventually. “You seemed upset.”Charlotte looked at her feet again, scuffing one lightly against the ground. “It’s really nothing. I’m just being silly.” She said softly.“I doubt that.” Ted said. “Something silly wouldn’t have you this rattled.”-Sam cancels dinner. Again. Charlotte just wants a smoke break to get over the disappointment, but Ted comes to find her. Could it be the start of something?
Relationships: Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals)
Series: Work Life Balance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733362
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	The Way You Deserve

**Author's Note:**

> First fic for this fandom! What can I say, I felt the urge to write this and I hope it's come out okay! 
> 
> Kudos and comments are adored!

Charlotte hung up the phone. 

She shouldn’t be surprised by things like this anymore. Sam cancelled more than he turned up to nowadays. She should know not to be disappointed. That didn’t mean she wasn’t though. It was just supposed to be dinner, the two of them talking over dinner, trying to reconnect, and then a night of cuddling. She was going to put on makeup and wear the pretty necklace Sam had bought her years ago. He’d not gotten her anything like that in so long. She felt her hands going for her packet of cigarettes without thinking. She looked at the pack for a moment before standing up. 

“I’m going for a smoke break.” She said to no one in particular, grabbing her jacket and heading outside to the stairwell. 

Sam always told her she should quit smoking, and she was going to. Soon. She really was. Just not right now, not today. She’d quit tomorrow. Or maybe next week.

She’d been stood out there for only a minute or so when she heard the door open behind her. 

“Hey,” Ted said, coming to lean against the wall next to her. 

“Hi,” She said, with a half-smile. She wasn’t really in the mood to talk, but Ted was nice. Well maybe nice was the wrong word, he could be a bit of an ass, but he made her laugh. More than anyone else did, really. 

“Paul and Bill went on a Beanies run.” He said. “I told them to get you a tea. Thought it might help with… well, whatever’s got you shaking.” 

“Oh, right, thanks.” Charlotte said, looking down at the floor. “He’s been going to that Beanies place a lot recently. Maybe I should actually go and check it out.” Ted laughed, shaking his head. 

“The coffee’s shit. He just keeps going because there’s this smoking hot barista.” Ted grinned as he crosses his arms. “He’s too chicken shit to make a move, so he just keeps going back, hoping she’ll fall in love with his boring coffee order or something.” 

“Sounds like it could be romantic. Or creepy.” Charlotte said, taking another drag from her cigarette. She looked over Ted for a moment. “You’re not smoking.” She said. 

“No, I’m… trying to cut down.” Ted said, his smile softening for a second. He looked at her like that sometimes, something soft in his eyes. It wasn’t something that came out very often, and it always disappeared before she could really put her finger on it. 

“Well this isn’t going to help with that.” Charlotte said, waving her cigarette a little to gesture to the smoke she was blowing out. “You should go inside, save yourself.” 

Ted took a moment to respond, as if he was debating what to say next. He wasn’t usually careful with his words, even if they could be hurtful. 

“I just wanted to check on you.” He said eventually. “You seemed upset.” 

Charlotte looked at her feet again, scuffing one lightly against the ground. “It’s really nothing. I’m just being silly.” She said softly. 

“I doubt that.” Ted said. “Something silly wouldn’t have you this rattled.” 

Charlotte looked back up at him. He was being kind, looking at her with those soft eyes again. What exactly did she have to lose by talking about Sam? It wasn’t even that interesting as gossip, he wouldn’t bother spreading it around the office.

“My husband cancelled our dinner plans.” She said. “… Again. Which we’d moved to tonight because he’d cancelled last week.” 

“And the week before that?” Ted asked, making Charlotte nod slightly in response. 

“Which is okay. He’s a cop, his job is difficult and dangerous, and I shouldn’t put myself over the safety of Hatchetfield.” That’s how Sam would say it. How he had said it in the past. Their dinner wasn’t as important as other people’s safety, and how was Charlotte supposed to argue with that? “It’s just… tonight…” She shook her head a little. 

“Was tonight special?” Ted asked. “Was it like… an anniversary or something?”

“No, no, nothing that important.” Charlotte said. Although Sam had had to work on their last anniversary. “It’s embarrassing.” 

“You can tell me.” Ted said, smiling in that slightly goofy way he did with her. “I swear I won’t tell a soul. Just between us.” Charlotte took a breath, nodding a little. She could trust Ted. 

“Tonight was supposed to be cuddle night.” She said, seeing the amused confusion on Ted’s face. “It’s… it’s something our counsellor told us to do. One night a month, together, no distractions. Just… just us.” She shook her head a little, knocking the ash off the end of her cigarette. 

“I didn’t know you two were in counselling.” Ted said, his voice a little deeper, a little more serious. 

“We thought it would help.” Charlotte said. “We had issues we didn’t know how to talk about. But talking about them hasn’t made them go away, and Sam won’t even do the things the counsellor tells us to do.” She bit her lip quickly. She’d said too much. It had just slipped out, because finally there was someone listening to her. Actually listening to her. She opened her mouth to apologise but Ted cut her off. 

“Then he’s a fucking idiot.” He said, but there wasn’t any of that jokey-fooling-around tone in his voice. He sounded deadly serious. “He really is.” 

“He just doesn’t have time to-“ 

“You don’t have to make excuses for him, Charlotte. Not with me.” Ted moved to stand in front of her, towering over her in a way that felt comforting rather than intimidating. “He’s an idiot. Because he’s got you, and he’s not even trying to keep you.” Ted took her hand gently, and Charlotte felt herself start shaking again ever so slightly. 

“Ted what are you-“ 

“He’s got this amazing, gorgeous woman, that’s he’s lucky even looked his way in the first place. And he’s not worshipping you. The way you deserve.” 

Charlotte dropped her cigarette, not even thinking about where it landed. Ted’s fingers laced through hers instead, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek. They were at work, anyone could walk out here, anyone could see them. Charlotte’s eyes searched Ted’s, and she didn’t think she’d ever seen him look so genuine. 

“Ted.” She said, just a little more firmly, although she didn’t move away from his touches. “What are you doing?”

“I think that’s obvious.” 

“I’m married.” 

Ted smirked, shaking his head a little. He leaned in a little closer, and Charlotte shivered slightly, pressed against the rough wall. 

“And your husband just left you, alone, on cuddle night.” He said, ever so slightly teasingly but in a way Charlotte didn’t mind so much. “I’m just… offering an alternative. Say stop, and I’ll never bring it up again.” 

Charlotte swallowed. Ted traced his thumb over her lower lip gently, and she felt herself melting. When was the last time Sam had treated her like this? Said things like Ted was saying to her? When was the last time she had really felt weak at the knees because of Sam, the way she did now with Ted? She let out a shuddering breath, reaching slowly to grab his shirt, not pulling him closer but just enough to keep him there. She couldn’t speak, her voice was stuck in her throat, but she managed to nod ever so slightly. 

Ted didn’t move fast, instead taking his time to lean in. Charlotte knew in the back of her mind that they could be caught at any moment, but right now she was transfixed. Ted’s hand left hers to instead hold her waist, pulling her into him as their lips finally met. She knew she must taste of tobacco, but Ted didn’t seem to care as he pressed his tongue between her lips. His moustache tickled her upper lip in a way she found she actually liked. She reached a hand up, her fingers going through his hair as he started to kiss her more deeply. He pressed her against the wall, and she couldn’t help the small sound that escaped her throat. She stopped for a moment, worried, but Ted only smiled and kissed her again. 

“You’re fucking amazing,” He whispered, gripping her waist a little more firmly as he started to kiss down her neck. Charlotte tried to choke off any sound she made, there was only one door between them and the office building, but a few soft whimpers made their way out. Ted grinned, teasing her skin with his teeth briefly before stopping to move up and look at her again, making sure he hadn’t left any marks that would embarrass her. He gave her one last quick kiss on the lips. 

“Think we might have to stop there, if you have any chance of walking back to your desk.” He said teasingly. Charlotte found herself grinning, giggling softly in a way she hadn’t done in years. 

“I’m going to need a moment.” She whispered. “That was…” She swallowed. It was amazing. Spine-tingling. Breath taking. It was a kiss that had made her feel more than the last two years of sex with her husband. But that was the problem. Her husband. She was married. So that meant that, while the kiss was all those other things, it was wrong. She felt the guilt creeping into her gut. “Ted…” She said, a hint of regret leaking into her voice. She bit her lip, but Ted put his finger over it instead. 

“Don’t say anything right now.” He said softly. “I’m going to go back in there, and no one will know. This can be our secret. And if you’re feeling lonely tonight…” He leaned in to whisper directly into her ear, his breath making her hair stand on end. “Call me, and I’ll be there. And I’ll show you exactly how a fucking spectacular woman like you should be treated.” 

He pulled away, and Charlotte felt oddly cold without his presence. He ran a hand through his hair and straightened his tie, giving her a quick wink before stepping through the door back into the building. 

Charlotte put her head back against the cold wall. The guilt was still sitting heavily in her stomach, but there was something else too. An excitement, a giddiness that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It would be wrong to call Ted over tonight, but she also knew that she’d get more of that feeling. Much more. And she wanted that feeling so badly. The feeling of someone desiring her. That’s all she really wanted with Sam, to get that spark back, and maybe it would still happen one day in the future.

She took a shaky breath, fixing her hair and picking up the butt of her cigarette from the ground to throw it away. She was probably flushed, but there wasn’t much she could do to fix that, so she headed inside to go back to her desk. 

“Oh, Charlotte. Ted said you wanted a tea.” Paul said as he passed her, clearly only just back from Beanies. “Here.” He passed her the disposable cup before walking away with a polite but short smile. For some reason Charlotte couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew what she’d done, even though he couldn’t possibly. Ted was right, it would be their secret. She sat down at her desk, looking over to see Ted. She raised the tea a little in a silent thanks before turning back to her computer. 

It would be wrong to call Ted tonight. She was married, she shouldn’t even be looking at another man that way, never mind kissing them on smoke breaks. And she definitely shouldn’t be calling them over to her house with her husband gone. It was be bad. It would be wrong. She shouldn’t think about it anymore. 

She cast one more glance over to Ted, before taking out her phone. Nothing from Sam, of course. Why would there be? She typed out a quick text. 

“He won’t be home until 11. Come over.” 

She put the phone away in her drawer as soon as she sent it. She heard Ted getting out his phone and could feel his eyes on her as if they were burning through the back of her skull. She kept her own eyes focussed on the screen in front of her. 

It would only be once, she promised herself. This would only happen once.

**Author's Note:**

> There may be a sequel... comment if you want more...


End file.
